Union undergarment.



B. PARKER & R. W. SPMN.

UNION UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1913.

amoemto'os Patented May 23, 1916.

M/ v// Mow wi/tueooeo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEDELL PARKER AND ROWLAND W. SPAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; SPAIN ASSIGNORTO SAID PARKER.

UNION UNDERGARMENT.

T 0 all whom it "may concern:

Be it known that we, BEDELL PARKER and ROWLAND \V. SPAIN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in UnionUndergarments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to union undergarments.

A desideratum in a union undergarn'ient.

is a normally'closed crotch which can, however, be readily opened.

Heretofore it has been proposed to pro vide a crotch having a 11:11)which may be opened but the crotch itself is, in reality, an opencrotch. Generallyspeaking, so-

-alled closed crotches which have flaps are subject to severaldisadvantages, among which are difficulty in keeping the crotch normallyclosed and necessitating the use of buttons which cause discomfort tothe wearer, liability of the edges of the flap to curl and form ridgeswhich are uncomfortable, and catching in the tails of the outer shirt ofthe wearer.

()nr invention dispenses with any flap or flaps at the crotch of thegarment and thereby obviates all discomforts and disadvantages incidentto a flap crotch, but at the same time provides a flap construction forthe undergarment and atfords means whereby the seat of the undergarmentmay be naturally and quickly opened or closed.

()nr invention. as distinguished from prior socalled closed crotch unionundergarments which have a flap in the crotch. has a crotch which ispermanent, devoid of flaps or buttons, and is as comfortable as theusual umlerdrawers while having all of the advantages of an open crotch.

()ur invention contemplates the provision of a union undergarmeqrthaving a permanently closed crotch and-a posterior leg portionconstructed as one large complete flaphaving a detachable connectionalong the outer side of the leg portion, buttons and bnttonholes beingpreferably provided, and, in addition. the back portion of theundergarment has a gore which is overlapped by the posterior leg portionaforesaid. The posterior leg portion aforesaid hinges or turns on a rearseat seam and the buttons or fasteners at the side of the leg portionare relatively low down so as to be convenientlv Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed August 18, 1913. Serial No. 785,341.

and naturally manipulated by the fingers of the wearer at that side ofthe garment and the entire posterior leg portion readily thrown back,affording the desired opening in the seat, when desired. Preferably, theposterior leg portion which constitutes the flap aforesaid has anoblique upper edge, devoid of buttons or fastenings of any kind andextends from a point at or near the Waist line down to a buttoning orfastening point at a convenient height at the side of the leg.

In a uniform undergarment embodying our present invention, we mayprovide an elastic belt section at the back or have said belt extendcompletely around the garment, but we do not limit ourselves to the useof an elastic belt of any nature whatsoever as our invention isdistinct, and separate therefrom. A union undergarment provided with thepresent invention may have sleeves or be sleeveless. Preferably, it willbe provided with a front' open from the neck to the crotch thereof andhaving suitable fastening means such as buttons and buttonh0les,, as isconnnon in union under arments. 3 \Ve do not, however, limitourslves toany con struction other than the permanent crotch and posterior legportion previously set forth. l

A preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth hereinafter and isshown in the accon'ipanying drawings. in which Figure 1 is a rearperspective showin the undergarn'lent in use; Fig. 2, a rear e evationof the undergarment alone, the posterior leg portion being unbuttoned atits upper part ready to be completely unbuttoned to open the seat of theundergarment; and Fig. 3, a detail showing the permanent crotch. the legportion being spread out.

The body 1 may be provided with sleeves or be sleeveless, the latterconstruction being illustrated. The front of the body extends the fulllength of the garment and includes the front leg portions 2. Preferably,the entire front of the undergarment. from the neck to the crotch 3 isopen and provided with suitable buttons and buttonholes. as usual inunion undergarments. The legs and the body 1 may be directly joined atthe rear or, a belt 4 of any suitable elastic textile material may-beinterposed and connected to the body and leg portions bv seams 5. and 6.We do not limit our- The posterior leg sections are shown at 7 and 8,the former being permanent. One of the front leg sections 1 is joined bya permanent side seam at 9 to the permanent leg section 7. The posteriorleg sections 7 and 8 have a permanent crotch 3. These leg sections beingpermanently joined by a seam 10 which, with the inner leg seams 11 and12 and the short front seam 18 which is connected to the open front ofthe undergarment. constitute the closed crotch.

The entire posterior leg section 8 constitutes a flap which hinges onthe seat seam 10. The upper part H of the leg section 8 is arrangedobliquely. extending downwardly from the seam joint 15 which is(lisposed substantially at the waist line, to the point l at or nearwhich there is provided a suitable fastening device, preferably a buttonand bnttonholc. whereby the leg section 8 is r. nnected to the front legsection 2 at the This juncture is preferably at a height about that ofthe hand of the wearer when hanging naturally at the side so that it isa natural movement to grasp and unfasten the section 8 when desired. Ata point lower down, preferably somewhat above the extreme lower edge ofthe le there is provided another fastener 17. preferably a button andbuttonhole for join ing the leg section 8 to the leg section We do notlimit ourselves to only two fasteners such as 16 and 17 nor to the exactlocation shown in the drawings.

A gore 18 which is preferably free for a short distance at 19. isconnected by seam 20 to the front leg section 2 and by seam (1 to thebody 1, through the medium of the belt 4 or directly to the body 1 ifsuch belt is not employed. The lower edge 21 of the gore 18 is alsopreferably arranged obliquely or on thebias and extends from a point 22in the seam 10 down to the lower edge of said gore 18. The dispositionof the gore 18 underneath the posterior legportion 8, prevents gappingof the garment at this point and renders it comfortable. Conse quently,when the leg section 8 is closed, there is no pulling apart of the loweredge 21 and the upper edge 11. Preferably, no button 'or fastening isemployed to connect the gore 18 and the leg section 8 together in orderthat there may be no possible discomfort to the back of the wearer, butwe do not limit ourselves to the absence of a fas tening between theseparts.

It will be seen that the rear opening extends only partially across thehack of the garment. that is, it originates in the back and extends onlypartially across the same instead of entirely across the back of thegarment. In the latter construction the transverse orcrosswise-cxtending opening would be larger than the conditions calledfor and the Hap covering such opening would be of such great length thatin the use of the garment. the flap would tend to gap and openunnecessarily. thus rendering the garment objectionable in that respect.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters latcnt. is?

union imdergarment having a permanently closed crotch. an openingoriginating in its lliHh and extending obliquely downward ly to theoutside of only one of the legs of said undergarmeut. and downwardly ofsaid leg. thereby providing a seat flap. fastening means for said seatflap. and a gore arranged under the upper part of the seat flap.

In testimony whereof. we hereunto affix our signatures in 1Hc tllc( oftwo witnesses.

lllCDl'lLl, lAhhElt. ROWLAND W. SPAIN. \\'itncsscs:

AXHL. Joxsox. l). Mu) Form.

